Im thinking of going to Maui to wing / parawing in late March / early April. Recognize this is early for the full tradewinds but it’s when I have the time to get there. I’ve looked at historical wind info, but would appreciate any firsthand advice as to whether it is still worth it and whether I can expect to get some wind during the trip? We would likely rent a house somewhere near Paia. Have never been but it’s been on the bucket list and my family (non wind sports inclined wife and two kids) are also interested.
Also, any suggestions on where I could rent/ demo a midlength for parawing? I’d probably only want to travel with a single board and I’d rather not parawing on my small wing board or vice versa (although maybe I’ll just bring my mid as a crossover?).
Not a lot of options at that time of year. We’ve done La Ventana and Cabarete (will also be there this spring) and looking to try something new. My local wind is good during the summer so I don’t really see myself getting to the islands at that time of year any time soon.
That’s a great time to go, you should score. We like Kihei for the family, good boogie boarding beaches, lots of places to eat, affordable condos and not too far from the north shore
My family is also thinking about Maui. On the no wind days, where are some good spots to prone foil? Want to be respectful of locals and of tourists as well - any places that don’t work for boogie or surf but are great for prone foiling? Also curious about a spot that would work for my 17, 15, and 12 yr old kids who love to surf Doheny (SoCal). They’re beginners so something small and mushy.
1000 peaks on the west side is a good prone/mushy wave spot. You can prone the harbor mouth if there is swell but no wind on the N shore too. Last trip we stayed in Kihei and really enjoyed it
If there’s NW swell Kaa is good to prone though it’s a bit of a paddle. guardrails/1000 peaks for south swell. Lower Kanaha is a good longboard wave but again it’s a bit of a paddle, cove beach in Kihei is a great beginner mushy wave with board rentals across the street, my kids (7 and 10) had a lot of fun there last winter
Good suggestions above for wave and wind action. For off-piste family time, Maui is beautiful. The west coast, Laihana and above, is busy with tourists but some lovely beaches. Snorkelling at beaches like Napili you’ll almost certainly see turtles up close just metres off the sand. Honolua Bay is beautiful when it’s flat, and a great spectacle of world-class shortboarding when it’s on (don’t surf there - just leave it to them).
Iao Valley is worth a visit as is the upcountry. And food truck culture in Maui is so good. This can be an amazing time for all of you, on water and off water.
Thanks a lot for all the suggestions! It looks like it will be a great time for me and the family both on and off water. Super stoked.
Figured I would share that I reached out to several places trying to source a parawing board while I am there (don’t really want to travel with two boards) and it seems like Kite HI (Jon McCabe) is the most promising option. Second Wind Maui may also have some suitable rental boards by the spring too. Super far in advance, but I am packing up gear for the winter and needed to figure out my travel quiver.
Hi Tech is another great shop that does rentals. Gabi does lessons and rents beginner gear for people wanting to learn.
Maui is also a great place to demo gear if you want to try something new. It is worth hitting up one of the local shapers (kalama, kt, frank, gofoil etc.) as sometimes they will have a demo board going around that might be available to rent. Same with foils- some of the team riders have demo gear (guido f4, Frank axis, kt pauwela factory)
As with anywhere in hawaii, be respectful and aware of the etiquette. Hawaiian culture is to give respect, be humble, and listen as a newcomer. The way to gain respect is to be respectful first.
The community is really nice here but Kanaha/kaa can be pretty crowded in the winter and sometimes visitors let the excitement get the better of them. If in doubt ask someone on the beach how things work and most people will be happy to help. Mostly just give riders on a wave plenty of space and you’re good.
For downwinding, there is sometimes a para wing group from Kaa but most popular is 12:30 harbor. Everyone shows up at 12:00 at Kahului harbor boat ramp for a Maliko run when wind is good. Aim is to leave by 12:30.
The best way to our hearts is to offer a ride, we also sometimes pay Tony, a local uber driver $40 cash to take 4-5 people up. I don’t have Tony’s number but Andrew van wieren (@docfoil) does. You might hear some good Maui lore listening to our ride-up banter haha.
If you like wind and waves, you will have an epic time. It is fun to see someone’s stoke after their first good kaa session or downwinder.
This is all excellent advice. I travel to foil a lot and totally understand and respect the concept of being a visitor in someone else’s zone - so point taken there.
My 6.5 year old daughter is keen on winging and has taken several lessons. Loves learning from female instructors. It would be super cool for her to take a lesson from Gaby or another female instructor and to see their stoke - in fact Ive shown her videos of Gaby foiling in the past! Will reach out to Hi Tech closer to the trip too.
Really appreciate all of the advice shared in all of these responses.
Kaa/Kanaha are the main spots. There are many waves good for foiling, almost no shore break, and nice flat water inside the reef. Kaa has the best foil waves but the rest of Kanaha has grass and showers. Upper Kanaha (top parking) is the nicest parking but the reef is shallow on low tide. Lower Kanaha circle is popular for foiling. Between Kaa and lower Kanaha is the “boneyard”- an area of reef that is almost dry on low tide. You can ride along the beach or outside the waves to get around it. All of kanaha/kaa is off limits for wind sports until 11:00.
Kuau can be really fun if you want more powerful waves than Kanaha. The waves just up and downwind are usually a little better than right out front. Parking is very limited.
Hookipa point is kind of sketchy unless you are a pro
Sugar cove also has some good waves and is a beautiful spot. There are nice waves up and downwind as well as the outer reefs. Rides tend to be shorter and there is bigger shorebreak than Kanaha at the launch.
Kahului harbor is our flat water spot and can have great waves if the swell is big. Give the paddlers a lot of distance and stay on the beach side of the red buoys when ships enter and leave. There are signs posted with guidance.
Other than that you can launch anywhere from Kahului harbor to Baby beach. Baldwin and Paia bay have swim zones 200fr from shore. Kuau is the next launch and anywhere upwind of there is legal. Ho’okipa pavilions and Tavares surf spot are not ok to foil, they are too shallow anyways.
Not much for foiling in waiehu, it is pretty shallow and the good spots are regulated.
Keep an eye out for people fishing from shore, if you run into their lines they will not be happy haha.
I don’t think the whales can see us well so give them a wide margin. We have had them breach too close for comfort downwinding.
Bumping this up. I’m flying into Maui tomorrow 1/4. Will be there for just under 2 weeks. Looking to do some proning and ideally some downwinding if conditions align this time of year. If anyone is around or has any tips hit me up. Would be much appreciated! Mahalo!